Posts Tagged ‘presentation tips’

My input on cultivating star-like confidence appeared in a recent issue of Woman’s World Magazine. The piece “Turn on Your Confidence and Be the Star of Your Own Life” by Alison Bell contains some great nuggets like:

Re-write your mental lines. Author Mick Berry says that performers who manage stage fright well do the following: Before heading onstage, instead of telling themselves, ‘I must do well,’ they said, ‘I want to do well.’ This simple change in wording takes off a lot of pressure, so ‘you’ll feel and perform better,’ he explains.

My tip on using your emotional energy: “Actors know that some of our most basic emotional responses can be turned into solid gold onstage. Marilyn Monroe reported that one of her directors helped her with performance anxiety by telling her to use it!” To translate your tension into positive energy, tell yourself “I will use this nervousness to give my speech or presentation extra energy.”

I’ve liked Woman’s World Magazine forever. Though probably not considered the most chic or glossy book on the block, it’s a great grocery line weekly that imparts a heap of practical and usable information each week, and is beautifully devoid of celebrities bending over in their swimsuits.

If, in the course of your everyday life, you spot someone who is particularly eye-catching, deconstruct them for a moment to discover why. (Note: For this on-the-street study to be its most successful, you must get specific.)

Perhaps their clothes are interesting, beautifully cut or suit their figure particularly well. Or the colors of their garments, or makeup or accessories, lift and accentuate the best of their hair, skin and eye shades. Maybe it’s their smile, strut or speech that gives off such an appealing vibe. In many cases it will be a bit of all of these things.

Conversely, when you see someone who has missed the mark in a big way, try to suss out why. Much of the time it has to do with an unkempt appearance or clothes that hinder rather than help one’s personal image or silhouette. Poor posture is an instant glamour-smotherer as well.